


Unconditional

by Puella777



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: F/M, Gen, I remember now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-26 11:11:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5002522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Puella777/pseuds/Puella777
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story of how love could find a way amidst the maze called life.</p><p>Reader/Kouha Ren</p><p>|In Response to Ninja-chan's '10 Stages of Love' Challenge from Lunaescence|</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Sight

**Author's Note:**

> Hey.

The first time you met Kouha Ren, you were still looking for something to fill your growling stomach, but unlike the first time you saw him, it was morning and you weren't trying to steal something.  
  
You were seated on the ground beside a stall selling fruits that looked anything but fresh, with their natural color carelessly combined with the brown of rotten food, not to mention the numerous flies flying around them which the stall owner was shooing them away with his hands, to no avail.  
  
All you could do was stare at the fruits lined up, and although they looked unappetizing, your hunger made them look absolutely delicious in your eyes. You were staring at a juicy looking red apple in particular, and you involuntarily licked your lips while imagining its taste.  
  
"You look kinda hungry there."  
  
You jumped as a voice resounded and a shadow covered your huddled form. Looking up, you blankly gazed at the pretty girl with long reddish hair, same colored eyes and a genuine smile. She was wearing a seemingly expensive white cloak that reached the ground. Your jaw dropped.  
  
This was the girl you saw just last night!  
  
At a loss for words, you absently nodded at his statement. The girl smiled wider and reached inside her cloak, bringing out a small loaf of bread. She crouched down in front of you while splitting it into two and gave the other half to you.  
  
"Here. I brought this from home in case I got hungry, but I think you need this the most. Let's share," she said, lightly wiggling the half piece that she was offering. You vaguely wondered why her voice was deeper than a normal girl's, unless...  
  
"Thank you," you muttered, not really knowing what to say. You didn't want to reject her kind offer, but for you, it was awkward talking to someone you didn't know, "I... Thank you very much."  
  
She just continued to smile at you as you started to devour the piece of bread in just a few bites, and when you finished, she wordlessly handed you the other piece which you took without preamble. This was probably one of the days that you could say that you ate a lot.  
  
While happily chewing the bread, you decided to voice out your thoughts, "I think you're a boy."  
  
The girl looked shocked for a moment before she grinned in amusement. "You think so?"  
  
You rapidly nodded making her laugh out loud, and that was when your suspicion was confirmed. This girl was a boy. His voice was a telltale giveaway.  
  
He stood up and glanced to his right, still chuckling. He turned back to you with an unreadable expression amidst his grin and started to back away.  
  
"I'm Kouha. What's your name?"  
  
You told him your name and he tilted his head, once again glancing to the right. He once again turned his attention back to you.  
  
"I'll come back for you."  
  
And with that he ran off without even saying goodbye, and you curiously stood up. What was wrong? Did he realize that you weren't interesting at all? But he said that he would come back for you, whatever that meant.  
  
Confused, you started to walk away in deep thoughts, not noticing about three soldiers dash past you towards the direction where Kouha went.


	2. Introduction

The first time you met Kouha Ren, you were still looking for something to fill your growling stomach, but unlike the first time you saw him, it was morning and you weren't trying to steal something.  
  
You were seated on the ground beside a stall selling fruits that looked anything but fresh, with their natural color carelessly combined with the brown of rotten food, not to mention the numerous flies flying around them which the stall owner was shooing them away with his hands, to no avail.  
  
All you could do was stare at the fruits lined up, and although they looked unappetizing, your hunger made them look absolutely delicious in your eyes. You were staring at a juicy looking red apple in particular, and you involuntarily licked your lips while imagining its taste.  
  
"You look kinda hungry there."  
  
You jumped as a voice resounded and a shadow covered your huddled form. Looking up, you blankly gazed at the pretty girl with long reddish hair, same colored eyes and a genuine smile. She was wearing a seemingly expensive white cloak that reached the ground. Your jaw dropped.  
  
This was the girl you saw just last night!  
  
At a loss for words, you absently nodded at his statement. The girl smiled wider and reached inside her cloak, bringing out a small loaf of bread. She crouched down in front of you while splitting it into two and gave the other half to you.  
  
"Here. I brought this from home in case I got hungry, but I think you need this the most. Let's share," she said, lightly wiggling the half piece that she was offering. You vaguely wondered why her voice was deeper than a normal girl's, unless...  
  
"Thank you," you muttered, not really knowing what to say. You didn't want to reject her kind offer, but for you, it was awkward talking to someone you didn't know, "I... Thank you very much."  
  
She just continued to smile at you as you started to devour the piece of bread in just a few bites, and when you finished, she wordlessly handed you the other piece which you took without preamble. This was probably one of the days that you could say that you ate a lot.  
  
While happily chewing the bread, you decided to voice out your thoughts, "I think you're a boy."  
  
The girl looked shocked for a moment before she grinned in amusement. "You think so?"  
  
You rapidly nodded making her laugh out loud, and that was when your suspicion was confirmed. This girl was a boy. His voice was a telltale giveaway.  
  
He stood up and glanced to his right, still chuckling. He turned back to you with an unreadable expression amidst his grin and started to back away.  
  
"I'm Kouha. What's your name?"  
  
You told him your name and he tilted his head, once again glancing to the right. He once again turned his attention back to you.  
  
"I'll come back for you."  
  
And with that he ran off without even saying goodbye, and you curiously stood up. What was wrong? Did he realize that you weren't interesting at all? But he said that he would come back for you, whatever that meant.  
  
Confused, you started to walk away in deep thoughts, not noticing about three soldiers dash past you towards the direction where Kouha went.


	3. Interaction

He came back for you.  
  
Imagine your surprise when Kouha arrived at the slums once more a week after he gave you food. You were amusing yourself by playing with a small grey cat who, for some reason, kept avoiding your hands and leaping out of the way just mere seconds before you could touch it.  
  
Kouha arrived carrying a basket of different kinds of bread and your mouth watered at the sight of it, barely taking notice of the three strange women behind your somewhat friend. With your excitement, you abruptly stood up from your position on the ground and made a dash towards the young male, but before you could reach him you let out a shriek as dozens of grey cats appeared out of nowhere, surrounding you while letting out identical sounds of meowing.  
  
You stared at them, wondering where they came from, not noticing Kouha exchange looks with the women behind him. He stepped forward and you jumped at the sudden movement. To your surprise, the cats disappeared in puffs of smoke.  
  
Kouha grinned, "Well, this changes everything."  
  
He gave you the basket which you took with relish, already forgetting about the cat occurance and not paying any attention when Kouha started to talk with the women, the three of whom nodding in agreement at what he was saying. You were surprised when Kouha took your arm and instinct told you to shake him off but you didn't.  
  
"Come with me," he gently said, but his tone was of an order, not a request. You blinked.  
  
"Why? Where are we going?"  
  
He smiled brightly and you couldn't help but smile back. You trusted him.  
  
"We're going home."  
  
Kouha and his attendants (or Household, as he called them) managed to convince you to come with them without any complaints, and you almost turned tail and ran as far away as possible when they brought you to the Kou Palace itself. There, Kouha revealed himself as the youngest prince of the empire and that he had decided to make you his personal servant. You weren't insulted at all when he said that, since you knew where you stood among them.  
  
"But when you made those cats appear and disappear at will, I decided to make you my Household instead," he said. You tilted your head in confusion.  
  
"I did?"  
  
"Yes, you did!" the attendant with the blindfold (or you thought it was one) exclaimed, clapping her hands. You remembered her name was Junjun. "When you did that, we immediately recognized you as able to do magic!"  
  
The smallest attendant, Jinjin, nodded vigorously while the last one, Reirei, smiled, "You are able to create illusions. You are able to use Light magic."  
  
You thought that you died and went back to the Great Flow when they informed you that piece of information. Kouha then told you that you were going to become one of his Household, and that his attendants would train you to become a better magician.  
  
Everything happened so fast that you just went along with what Kouha was saying and didn't protest when the attendant trio dragged you to who knows where to be washed and clothed. You just stared as Kouha cheerfully waved you goodbye.  
  
Thus, the start of your life as Kouha's household member.


	4. Attraction

You didn't know when you started to have feelings for him, but you knew that you must quell it immediately.  
  
It had been a month since Kouha made you his household member, and your training with his three attendants was going well. They couldn't help you with your light magic, but they could help you control it. Also, you were very glad that during your time with the trio, the four of you became quite close, close enough to call them your friends.  
  
Within that month, you only saw Kouha a handful of times, and that had been when he would check on your progress. It was rather awkward for you, since whenever you started your training he would stare at you with his piercing eyes with a smile on his pretty face, and you couldn't concentrate. When it was only you and the attendant trio, you were almost flawless with your illusion casting, but whenever he was present, you would somehow find a way to be clumsy in front of him.  
  
"It's only natural to be nervous in front of our master, my dear," Junjun told you one evening after a training session where you managed to trip on your own two feet without even moving from your position, "when I first started, I couldn't even hold my wand right."  
  
"The same goes for Jinjin and I," Reirei seconded with a nod, gently patting your head. Jinjin was busy trying to braid your hair and wasn't paying attention.  
  
You bit your lip as you recalled how Kouha snorted out a laugh when you fell, but helped you up anyway. You felt your cheeks heating up as you remembered the feel of his warm hand clasping your own and his carefree grin while telling you to take things easy. Was it normal to have ones heart racing so fast when someone helped them stand up?  
  
"Oh, oh!" Jinjin cried out, pointing at you with a wide eyed look on her face, "Look! She's turning red! She's turning red!"  
  
"My, so she is," Reirei muttered as she peered at your expression which was a cross between mortified and confused, "This is quite a first..."  
  
"Why? What's wrong? Is this bad?" you were getting scared as the trio exchanged looks of amusement, excited smiles starting to appear on their almost identical faces, "Please tell me!"  
  
"You have a crush on master Kouha!" Junjun exclaimed, clapping her hands with glee. The other two followed suit, clasping their hands together while skipping up and down, "this is a first! A first!"  
  
You blinked slowly, processing the information. Someone once told you while you were still in the slums that a crush was when a person really, really liked another and wanted to be with them forever. As you dwelled on it for a minute, the three were staring at you expectantly, waiting for your reaction. When you realized the implication, your hands flew up to your cheeks as you almost fell backwards.  
  
"I like Prince Kouha Ren?!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"You like your new pet?"  
  
Kouha openly scowled at his older brother as he crossed both hands in front of his chest, "She's not my pet, Mei. She's my new household member."  
  
Koumei waved a hand in dismissal at his words, a bored look on his acne-scarred face, "Yes, yes, alright. But really Kouha. You cannot like a household member."  
  
"Why not though?" Kouha was seriously regretting mentioning this to his older brother. He just needed to tell someone of this new feeling and Kouen was out of the question. Kougyoku would squeal and try to help him, but he knew that she would just complicate things further, and he wasn't close with Hakuryuu and Hakuei. His other sisters were lunatics, so they were out too.  
  
"Are you even sure you like her, brother?" Koumei started, lazily fanning himself with drooping eyes, "I know she is quite fetching for someone from the streets, but maybe you're just fascinated with the girl?"  
  
Kouha shrugged but remained silent with a pout. He wasn't exactly sure himself, but all he knew was that he felt different around you somehow. He had this want to be close to you, to make you smile. He liked your smile. It was fresh, pure, untainted by the horrors of war. True, you were from the slums, but your childish innocence was something that he wanted to remain with you forever.  
  
He wanted to protect you.  
  
"Kouha, are you still with me?" when the younger male didn't answer but continued to stare at nothing with mouth almost agape, Koumei sighed, "this is troublesome. Just make sure you don't do anything impulsive."  
  
For some reason, Koumei had this feeling that everything would go well from here on out.


	5. Date

"Let's have a picnic!"  
  
The words that brought you to sit on the soft grass in the palace gardens with more than enough food to feed an army. It would have been a pleasant and relaxing experience if you weren't as stiff as a board from all the tension and nervousness that you were feeling.  
  
How could you not when the object of your affections was seated in front of you while happily munching on his food with relish?  
  
You stared at how the sun shone on his brightly colored hair that made it look a shade lighter than normal, how it illuminated his face to make it more youthful, almost childish. His movements were confident although he was just eating, but you liked it. If you could just watch him all day-  
  
"Hey, why aren't you eating? You don't like the food?"  
  
You jumped when he spoke up, his words slightly muffled because of the bread barely chewed inside his mouth. As your brain processed the information, you turned red and rapidly shook your head.  
  
"No! I was just distracted and all..." you let yourself trail off with uncertainty when Kouha mischievously grinned at you.  
  
"Distracted? By what?" and his grin only grew wider, making him look quite impish, "Or by whom?"  
  
"I-I'm not thinking about you! Not at all!" then your hands flew to cover your mouth as you realized that you just dug a hole for yourself. The third prince laughed out loud while pointing at you with one hand, the other holding his stomach.  
  
"I was just messing with you! But I knew that you'd fall for it!"  
  
You pouted, unable to get rid of the furious blush painted on your cheeks. You were so embarraessed that you just wanted to crawl into the hole you dug and die. Now Kouha knew that you were thinking of him! He would think that you did that everytime you spaced out and there would be nothing less mortifying than that. He might think you were crazy and obssessive and he would kick you out of the palace-  
  
"Cute."  
  
Your head snapped up at his random word, "What?"  
  
Kouha's grin turned into a smile, his eyelids lowering and making his expression turn soft. He was looking at you with such fondness that you brought your sleeves to hide the bottom of your face. You must have looked like a tomato now.  
  
"I think it's cute that you're thinking of me," he started and to your surprise, he turned away roughly with a small tint of red on his cheeks, "I-It's nice knowing that you think of me."  
  
You thought your heart stopped. Were you just hearing things? You couldn't believe what he just said. Was he just joking to further embarrass you? But you admitted that what he said made you happy, and your heart started to move again.  
  
But this time, it began to beat faster. Did his words meant that there was hope for your feelings to be recognized? You wanted to stop kidding yourself, but it was hard.  
  
"P-Prince Kouha..."  
  
Your voice lodged in your throat when you realized that he was leaning towards you, his hand moving to carress the back of your neck. The gesture sent shivers down your spine and couldn't help but let out a soft noise. It became a whimper when his hand threaded itself through your hair with surprising force, pulling you closer to him. His eyes were gazing at you with such intensity that you closed your own, fully prepared to accept what he was going to give you when-  
  
"Kouha."  
  
The two of you shot away from each other with such speed that you fell backwards, eyes wild with terror at the thought of someone seeing you with Kouha. Craning your neck to look at the person who disturbed the two of you, you froze.  
  
It was Kouen, the first prince. The aura he exuded was full of authority and you couldn't help but wrap your arms around yourself loosely in a pitiful attempt to hide yourself from view.  
  
"En!" Kouha exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. His eyes snapped towards you then back to his brother, "Is there something you need from me, En?"  
  
Kouen didn't answer but trailed his eyes on your form. Probably thinking about how he was going to execute you for being close to his younger brother. You inwardly sighed in relief when he turned his attention back to Kouha.  
  
"Come."  
  
And with that he turned on his heels and left. You watched as Kouha hesitated for a moment before he followed Kouen, leaving you to sprawl on the grass with face as red as blood.  
  
What just happened?


	6. Holding Hans

After the whole fiasco called a 'picnic,' it was a week until you saw Kouha again. Within that time frame, a feeling of dread settled heavily upon your chest. What if Kouen forbade his brother to come near you and kick you out of the palace? What if they thought you were trying to befriend the third prince because you wanted to ascend the throne? Or worse...  
  
What if you would never see him again?  
  
With that last thought, you became quite desperate that you wanted to cry. The thought of not seeing him again brought an aching pain in your heart that you suffered not only emotionally, but physically as well. You became pale with worry and the weight that you gained from eating the delicious food that the palace prepared was slowly starting to dwindle away. On the third day of your unconscious hunger strike, Junjun has had enough.  
  
"Dearest, what you're doing isn't helping your situation at all," she started, her two companions nodding in agreement. Their eyes were determined as they brought to you plates of different kinds of viands and grain, as you had started to confine yourself in your room in self-pity.  
  
"I agree," Reirei placed in her input, "all you're doing is trying to get yourself killed. Even your training has gone downhill."  
  
You lowered your eyes in guilt. She was right. At the same time that you let your health fall, you also weren't concentrating on your training. The illusions you casted were weak and feeble, and you were ashamed to say that you almost didn't care. What was the point in practicing magic if you would get kicked out from the palace anyway? That was the only reason Kouha took you in.  
  
After much coaxing from the attendant trio, you allowed yourself to be dragged off to the bathroom where the three helped you bathe. You noticed that they were treating you as if you were some fragile object, but you remained quiet about it.  
  
After four more days of not even seeing a strand of hair from the third prince's head, you decided to amuse yourself by wandering around the palace garden's. Since the 'picnic', you had taken a liking to the place and would often go there to just think and relax. You just hoped that you wouldn't encounter a certain dark magi there. The last time you saw him, Judar had attempted to force you into a battle so that you would show your hidden 'powers' or whatever. It was a good thing he was called off before he could do any more damage.  
  
Sighing, you slumped against a tree while trying to clear your mind. You didn't want to think about anything so you closed your eyes, and without a second to spare you immediately drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
You woke up to the feel of fingers gently threading through your hair and you resisted the urge to cuddle against the warm body shading you from the afternoon rays of the sun. You opened your eyes and frowned when a familiar face appeared before you although it was a bit blurred. Your heart throbbed.  
  
"Prince Kouha...?"  
  
Kouha smiled at you, but it was not the usual bright one that he often showed to the others in public. It was more... controlled. Melancholic, even.  
  
He retracted his hand from your head and just stared at you, making you turn red. You squirmed under his deep gaze and couldn't help but feel warm under it. As happy as you were right now, you were confused as to why he wasn't saying anything. After a few seconds of silence, you decided to end it by saying something, anything, just to break the stillness.  
  
"Prince Kouha, are you alrig-"  
  
Your sentence ended in a shocked gasp as his fingers dug into your shoulders with surprising force, pulling you towards him in an embrace that had your face heating up instantly. The two of you were so close that you could feel the contours of his lean chest, your breasts tightly pressed against his abdomen. His chin was resting on top of your head with his left hand now gripping your waist when he lifted you up to straddle him.  
  
Remaining motionless, you attempted to keep your breathing even, eyes wide at your position. If anybody saw the two of you right now, they would think this as positively scandalous.  
  
Not one of you moved, and even the wind seemed to stop moving. You couldn't help but lean against him more, your eyes drooping as you made yourself comfortable on his lap.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
You sighed, blinking slowly. "For what, Prince Kouha?"  
  
"For leaving you."  
  
You instantly understood what he was saying and smiled. His voice was nervous. Did he think that you wouldn't forgive him for such a petty act? With all the things that he did for you, how could you be mad at him?  
  
Kouha Ren was your saviour.  
  
"It's alright."  
  
You felt his right hand lightly skimming along your sleeves and stopped when it reached your left hand. His fingers gently clasped yours and you loved the knowledge that your hand fitted perfectly in his own.  
  
You wanted to hold his hand forever, if only to indulge your feelings for him.


	7. First Kiss

Kouha had invited you to accompany him in his leisurely stroll in Rakushou, capital of the Kou Empire. You had been excited at the prospect of going with him on a proper date, but he had also mentioned that the attendant trio were going with you, crushing your hopes of spending alone time with him. Not that you disliked having the other three with you, but they tended to be quite supportive of your feelings for the third prince. You were surprised at first, since the love that they had for Kouha wasn't something to joke about, but you just went with the flow and thanked the gods that they easily accepted you or else...  
  
You shuddered. Best not to think of it.  
  
Currently, you let your eyes wander to the familiar buildings of the capital, the feeling of nostalgia rearing itself from your heart. You just learned that Rakushou was also the place where you were born and grew up in. You didn't know because being a former inhabitant of the slums, you were more focused on feeding yourself rather than knowing the name of the place you lived in. You had half a mind to ask Kouha if you could visit the place where you last slept in, wanting to see if your street companions were still there and alive, but thought better of it. He was busy and you didn't want to disturb him.  
  
You watched as Kouha was being greeted by the people with varying degrees of respect, reverence, and even fear. You were confused of the last one. Why would they be scared of him, since he was probably the nicest person you had ever met?  
  
Situated right beside him with the trio behind, he continued on his walk with an air of dignity around him, a confident gait in his stride. You smiled at his figure, amused at how well he was taking his role of royalty.  
  
And that was when you felt it.  
  
The burn of someone glaring at you, the sting of hurtful words floating around you. You hesitated, unconsciously moving closer towards Kouha and your sleeves brushed against his arms, earning you his attention.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked, looking down at you with furrowed brows. You could also feel the questioning gazes of the trio, you shook your head.  
  
"I'm fine..."  
  
Kouha raised an eyebrow and before he could say anything, a voice made you freeze.  
  
"Oh look, the slut has returned."  
  
A male about your age stepped out from the shadows, his dull brown hair unkempt and his steel grey eyed narrowed. He was flanked on both sides by two significantly larger boys with bulging muscles. The first male bowed at Kouha then at you, but you knew that his gesture was mocking.  
  
"To what do we owe you of this pleasure, your highness?" he was speaking to you, and you levelled him with a steady gaze.  
  
"Aswad," you said his name, frowning. Aswad had been the bane of your existence since you were a child, making your life miserable by stealing your food and going as far as to hurt you physically when you wouldn't comply to his demands.  
  
"How is it like in the palace? Serviced anyone yet?" Aswad nonchalantly asked, a smirk on his lips. He then turned towards Kouha who was staring blankly at the other male with an indifferent expression on his face. "Don't let her beauty fool you, your highness. Her face and body are already sullied by too many hands."  
  
Your jaw dropped open at what he was implying. He was basically announcing to everyone that you were just a common whore! By now, spectators were all but gaping at the scene, mutters and whispers filling the air and eyes looking at you with contempt. You wanted to either run back to the palace or scream and pummel Aswad for his words.  
  
"How dare he," you heard Junjun murmur behind you, and it made you feel better that they didn't believe him.  
  
Also, how could Aswad speak like that to a high ranking official, not to mention the third imperial prince himself! Did he have a death wish?  
  
"But I don't blame you, my prince," Aswad continued, a grin appearing on his gaunt face. "She is probably the best there is. I would know."  
  
You gasped, "You liar!"  
  
"Enough."  
  
Silence met you as Kouha lazily spoke. He was still standing, his eyes blank and a hand on his hip. He raised his brow and regarded Aswad with a slight movement of his wrist.  
  
"You know, there are many kinds of people living in the empire. There are the royalties comprised of my siblings and I," Kouha started, his voice taking on a smooth edge that was bordering on seductive, making you shudder, "our household members," he gestured towards the trio and you, "the humble citizens of Kou," he then smiled at the people around you who nodded to themselves.  
  
"And there are those that terrorize needlessly, believing that a show of power is a show of strength. Such childish mentality is far beneath us residing in the palace," Kouha's eyes sharpened as he glared at Aswad with pure malice, a smile on his face, "People like you disgust me."  
  
Everyone froze as they took in what the third prince said. You glanced at Aswad and you saw that his eyes were wide with fear. You also noticed that his two cronies were nowhere to be found.  
  
You flinched when an arm wrapped around your waist as Kouha pulled you close against him. His expression was jolly now, a stark contrast to his earlier one.  
  
"Well, I could just kill you right now for daring to insult what's mine," Kouha cheerfully stated, lifting his other hand to your chin to tilt your head towards him. His eyes lowered in a seductive gaze as his voice grew deeper, "but I don't want my precious to be dirtied by your damned blood."  
  
And his lips were on yours before you could react, forcing your mouth to open with his tongue, easily slipping in when he dug his fingers on your hip and you let out a pained cry. You didn't hear the gasps of shock from everyone since all you could concentrate on was on the fact that Kouha was kissing you.  
  
His hand, which was previously on your chin, was now gripping your cheek hard enough for bruises to form, and you whimpered. He was hurting you, but for some reason you didn't care. You shyly let your tongue brush against his and he groaned, angling your head so that your neck was craning to accomodate his frenzy. Your hands flew up to rest against his chest, fingers twitching and not knowing if you would push him away or pull him closer.  
  
All too soon, he ripped himself way from you with a satisfied smile on his smug face, but it fell when he saw your expression. You knew that your eyes were filled with unrestrained lust along with confusion, your cheeks flushed and lips swollen. His eyes grew tender as he ran his thumb over the corners of your eyes and you were surprised to know that there were tears.  
  
"I'll make it up to you," he whispered loud enough for you to hear and you smiled.  
  
You didn't care that you just kissed him in the middle of the capital in public.


	8. Relationship

Not everybody approved of your relationship with the third prince. Of course, the attendant trio were ecstatic at seeing Kouha with a near perpetual smirk on his face, and the knowledge that it was because of you made them even more happy. It was also nice to know that some members of the royal family also deemed you worthy somehow.  
  
You were quite surprised when one day, Princess Kougyoku Ren had seriously barreled down the halls with her household, Koubun-ka, when she saw you strolling. Her eyes were shining as she clasped your hands in her own.  
  
"I'm so happy for both you and Brother Kouha," she exclaimed, a big smile on her face, "and also, this will mean that I'll have a new friend!"  
  
You had nodded, feeling warmth seep through your body. It would be nice to have Kougyoku as a friend.  
  
Next, Koumei once passed you while you were on the way to training and you froze, afraid of what his reaction to you would be. To say you were shocked when he placed a hand on top of your head with a gentle expression was an understatement.  
  
"Make him happy," he had said, ruffling your hair, "be happy also."  
  
You felt empowered, having not one, but two members of the royal family approving your relationship with Kouha. But your smile somewhat fell when you realized something.  
  
All of this would be for naught if the person that really mattered didn't accept you.  
  
"Prince Kouha, what if he kills me?" you asked, your whole body turning cold with both worry and fear of what was about to come. The two of you were heading towards Kouen's private chambers, as the first prince specifically called for the two of you to talk.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. En won't kill you," Kouha replied, his fingers around your own tightening. He looked sick. "I hope."  
  
"Eh?!" you resisted the urge to burst into tears. Even Kouha wasn't sure! You knew that what happened at Rakushou created quite a scandal, and you positively knew that Kouen hated you for it. He was going to murder you.  
  
The two of you reached the door to the first prince's chambers, and you could feel yourself trembling. Kouha's hands were sweaty, and you could hear him suck in a deep breath and gulped. He was also afraid. Biting his bottom lip, he pushed open the door and pulled you inside, walking with confident steps towards the illumination that could be seen from the entrance.  
  
Kouen Ren was a handsome man, his whole countenance hardened with experience although he was still considered young, but his aura held such authority that the urge to fall to your knees was too strong for you to resist.  
  
"Lord Kouen," you muttered, bowing your head in respect. Instead of letting go of your hand, Kouha knelt beside you.  
  
"Brother En," he started, his tone of reverence hiding his nervousness, "you called for us?"  
  
Kouen continued his reading for a few tense moments but you didn't dare look up. This man was so great that you couldn't even move from your position although he did nothing. Then, slowly, he turned to look at you. You could feel his gaze sweep over your stiff form and you forced yourself to stop shaking.  
  
Kouha's hand once again tightened his grip on yours, and you calmed.  
  
"Kouha, you may leave."  
  
Your heads snapped up in surprise. Kouha furrowed his brows.  
  
"Brother-"  
  
"It's alright Prince Kouha," you assured him and he turned to stare at you in confusion. You smiled. "It is fine."  
  
The third prince hesitated, alternating from looking at you and at his brother. After reaching a decision, he let his fingers slip away from yours and stood up. He pursed his lips and gave Kouen a meaningful look before leaving.  
  
You didn't flinch when the door closed behind him, the ominous sound echoing across the silence of the room. You waited.  
  
Kouen lowered his book and moved, fully facing you with his body. His apathetic eyes narrowed.  
  
"Your life," he stated, voice deep and powerful. Dread filled you at what he was going to say next, "for my brother's life."  
  
Your heart stilled.


	9. Love

"L-Lord Kouen..."  
  
Your voice trembled at his implication, eyes widening. Your whole body stiffened as you met his apathetic gaze, but you could easily make out a slight emotion from behind his cold stare.  
  
Satisfaction.  
  
He was enjoying seeing you squirm and you couldn't help the blood from rushing to your ears at the unexpected annoyance rearing its head. You straightened your expression as you leaned back, your bottom resting on top of your ankles because of your comfortable kneeling position. Kouen was definitely toying with you, and you would not give him the privilege of seeing your true state.  
  
Yes, you were still terrified of him, that was certain.  
  
"Lord Kouen," you started, praying fervently that nothing would go wrong and that you would come out of this unscathed, "can you please elaborate? I have an inclination of what you're telling me, but I would rather be sure."  
  
Inwardly, you cheered yourself. You sounded like a professional!  
  
"..." the man narrowed his gaze at you before slightly tilting his head, his hand reaching to stroke his goatee. "I would like to think that Kouha chose an intelligent woman as his mate. Was I mistaken?"  
  
You bristled. How dare he imply that you were some stupid girl. You tried to calm yourself down, hiding your clenched fists behind your back although it was obvious to the both of you that you just wanted to pummel him to the ground. Your eye twitched.  
  
"I'm sorry, my lord, but I prefer to know the sordid details rather than finding out for myself," you respectfully replied even though you wanted to spat out your words like it was poison, "but I should have known that the first prince wouldn't answer to someone of my status."  
  
God, what were you doing?  
  
You resisted the urge to cover your mouth and squack like the cowardly duck you truly were. You were appalled at what you were saying, inwardly crying at your stupidity.  
  
Kouen had stilled, looking at you with a blank expression. You couldn't read what he was thinking, but you knew that he was plotting your demise and thinking about how he would make it look like an accident. You wanted to prostate yourself in front of him but...  
  
You wouldn't. Yes, you were idiotic to a fault, but your pride was as big as Kouen's ego, you were sure of it.  
  
Ignoring the more logical part of your brain, you glared at Kouen with all the courage you could muster. If you would die today, than you would die with honor.  
  
"Heh..."  
  
You flinched at the sound and you almost gaped. Actually, you did gape.  
  
Was Kouen laughing at you? Yes, he was. He wasn't outright guffawing, but he was chuckling under his breath and the hand on his goatee was now massaging the corners of his mouth. His eyes were closed.  
  
"Leave," he said, amusement in his tone, "I have other things to do."  
  
You didn't have to be told twice. You stood up without any grace at all and jerkily bowed at Kouen, before scurrying out in a hurry.  
  
You survived the ordeal and made the first prince laugh. Now THAT was an achievement one couldn't ignore! You couldn't fight off the grin threatening to appear and rushed off to find Kouha.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"What do you think of her, Brother?"  
  
Kouen didn't look at Koumei who silently appeared from behind a bookshelf, but he knew that his younger brother held an expression of curiosity. He smirked before picking up his book.  
  
"Approved."  
  
Koumei sighed with a smile.

 

 

 

 

 

You bounded down the halls, not really caring that you almost barreled down Judar (and almost died, but good thing you had fast reflexes) and successfully barreled down Kougyoku (you ignored Koubun-ka waving his fist at you) since for you, everything was right with the world.  
  
The first thing to celebrate was that Kouen didn't kill you. Sure, half of you figuratively died from him scaring you almost to death, but what mattered the most was that you survived his 'interview' and emerged from it scott free. Not everyone (the royal family didn't count) could say that they talked to the first prince and lived to tell the tale but not everyone was Kouha's... lover?  
  
Second, Kouen accepted you as his younger brother's mate, and for you, that was the greatest news of all! Well, he just told you to scram out of his chambers but he didn't tell you NOT to continue loving Kouha.  
  
Now that elation filled your whole entire being, you were giddy with glee and you couldn't wait another minute to inform Kouha that the two of you were now worry-free!  
  
The sound of your name coming from behind you made you whirl around, your eyes widening as you recognized the long brightly colored hair of the person you treasured the most. His facial expression was a cross between worried and relieved, and he was jogging towards you with his arms half open.  
  
Without another thought, you ran towards him with tears pouring from your eyes from all the stress of the day, both good and bad, and met him halfway by jumping into his arms without any hesitation. His hands gripped your waist as your limbs wrapped his neck. The force of your embrace made him lift you up in circles and you pressed your lips against his.  
  
You poured all of your feelings into that one act of love and he returned it in full. It was chaste, with nothing but the meeting of your lips and the tight encircle of arms around each other. It was for another moment before you pulled away and brightly smiled at his confused gaze.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Kouha blinked, his eyes wide in surprise at your sudden declaration, and as soon as he fully grasped the word's that came from your mouth he returned your smile with his own, the emotion behind it tugged painfully at your heart and you almost forgot how to breathe.  
  
"I love you too," he whispered only loud enough for you to hear him. His tone was full of adoration and gentleness that you felt as if you were lulled by his soft voice. He placed light kisses from your jaw up to your forehead, his lips lingering there as one of his hands came to rest behind your head, "so damn much."  
  
"Kouha," you sobbed, placing your hands on his shoulders and pulling him closer to you, "Kouha..."  
  
You were so happy that you could only repeat his name over and over again, and it seemed as if he understood you when he tucked your head under his chin and just held you, the soft breeze allowing the leaves and stray petals to fall lightly over the two of you.  
  
"Kouha...?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
You sighed and snuggled against his chest, "Nothing."  
  
You just wanted to hear his voice, and only his, for the rest of your life.


	10. Commitment

The wedding took place after a year.  
  
You and your lover would have done for less time, but you had entrusted the whole thing to Kougyoku (after so much begging) because you had no idea what happened in ceremonies like these and Kouha just didn't have the patience.  
  
It was amusing to say the least, with your soon to be sister-in-law taking in charge of your special day, her usually neat appearance ruffled and her hair wildly flying about much to Koubun-ka's chagrin. To your surprise because you hadn't really talked to her other than an exchange of formal nods, Hakuei volunteered to help with the preparations. Maybe she was just killing time, but you were happy nonetheless. She was a gentle soul, after all.  
  
As for Kouha's attendants, they had gone crazy with joy when you informed them of your impending union with their master and had almost smothered you with hugs and kisses before Kouha laughingly saved you from their clutches. They had helped Kougyoku with the food and decorations, and you marveled at how well they worked together.  
  
Koumei would sometimes look in on the commotion with an exasperated expression before he would fondly smile and would input his own suggestions for the wedding. You had always known the second prince was a genuinely good person.  
  
As expected, Kouen didn't do anything to help, and you had feared that he hadn't fully agreed with you yet, but imagine your surprise when a horde of servants appeared one day and announced that they were sent by the fire emperor to do as they wish. You had burst into tears.  
  
The wedding had been a solemn affair, and you had half wished that Judar would appear and wreak some havoc or something, but the more sane part of your mind prayed that he wouldn't. It had been a chore to convince the dark magi to behave and not take the ceremony into his own hands ("I AM a priest, after all!").  
  
You had happily smiled, surrounded by your loved ones and the people that equally cared about you. Who would expect that you, a street rat, would fall in love and get married with a prince?  
  
Everything is at it should be.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
His kisses were rough, and even his handling of you wasn't as gentle as he should be, but he would make up for it. He caressed you in places that you didn't know could be touched, and you would try to suppress the weird sounds that threatened to burst out from your partially opened mouth.  
  
When licked your neck and started to trail down a path in-between your breasts, you clutched at his hair and he looked up to you in question. You blushed, then shook your head. You trusted Kouha, and he obviously knew what he was doing.  
  
His pace was agonizingly slow, and when he reached that area between your thighs, you almost died. How could something so disturbingly dirty could bring such pleasure? He inserted his tongue without preamble and you bucked your hips, surprised at the sudden intrusion. His grip on your hips were hard and you were sure that he would leave bruises after he was done.  
  
Both of your movements were coordinated, as if the two of you practiced beforehand. It was like a dance, passionate and fluid, and the moans and groans were the music that commanded your bodies to move in rhythm. It was positively sinful, and you half expected the gods to strike the both of you down for doing this deed, but when he started to move inside you, you didn't care anymore.  
  
For you, the act was beautiful, especially now because you and Kouha were now joined together both in body and in spirit, in soul and in heart. Tears leaked from the corners of your eyes, and he tenderly kissed them away.  
  
"I love you," you sobbed, burying your face against his naked chest, "so much. For everything... All the things you did for me..."  
  
Kouha pressed his lips to yours fully. A grin was on his face when he retreated, and it was so contagious that you couldn't help but giggle.  
  
"You're welcome," he jokingly replied, pinching your cheeks as you childishly whined, "now stop crying. You're ruining the moment."  
  
The two of you laughed, and that moment was when you felt more close to him then ever, and you knew that in the future, there would be more laughter than any other through the trials the both of you would face, together.  
  
Love would definitely find a way.


End file.
